SAMPLE REGULARLY KNOW YOUR PEST (EVERY MONTH!) Meet the Varroa mite... Alcohol wash The Varroa Mite, , is an Integrated Pest The most accurate way to determine Varroa destructor external parasite that feeds on honey bee Varroa levels in your hives Management (IPM) for adults and brood. They weaken bees and MATERIALS transmit viruses. Varroa + mites

Pint Original 1/2 cup Dishpan Rubbing jar solid lid + measure alcohol Mesh lid* (50-70%) *1/8 inch hardware cloth, cut to match solid lid Unmonitored and unmanaged infestations 10 STEPS of Varroa mites will result in colony death. 1) Pour alcohol into jar. Set materials in easy reach is a decades-old farm strategy for 2) Find a frame of open brood COMMON SIGNS OF MITE DAMAGE: mitigating pests while minimizing chemical use. __Check that the queen is not on frame! Experts now recommend IPM for Varroa. 3) Shake adult bees from frame into dishpan __Scoop 1⁄2 cup (~300) bees and pour into jar Rather than relying on a “silver bullet”, good IPM incorporates multiple practices throughout the season, based on pest levels and pest biology.

• Open or damaged pupal cells IPM PRINCIPLES: 4) Shake remaining bees from bin into colony • Chewed-down pupae KNOW YOUR PEST 5) Seal solid lid on jar and • Emerging adult bees with deformed or shake for 1-2 min PREVENT pest build up using missing wings 6) Let jar sit for 1-2 minutes non-chemical practices 7) Replace solid lid with mesh lid SAMPLE REGULARLY 8) Version 4, May 2020. Publication produced by the Massachusetts to track pest population levels Shake jar contents into empty dishpan Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), University of Massachusetts, 9) Count the total # mites. and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (MDACF), with pesticides when funded by the Northeastern IPM Center through grant #2014-70006-22484 INTERVENE If there are >3, it is time to ______from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and populations reach damaging thresholds apply a chemical treatment ______! Pest Management, Regional Coordination Program, and reprinted with (vary products to prevent pest resistance) (see inside of brochure) permission from the Northeastern IPM Center. Drawings by Hannah Whitehead. Brood photo by Kim Skyrm. Other images 10) Discard bees and mites from USDA Office of Communication in Research Science https://www. Wash all materials; can reuse alcohol usda.gov/media/blog/2014/05/13/helping-honey-bees-health This pamphlet will help you to use IPM principles to manage Varroa mites. email [email protected] for a free kit! PREVENT PEST BUILD UP USING INTERVENE W/ PESTICIDES WHEN PESTS EXCEED THRESHOLDS (>3 MITES/SAMPLE!) NON-CHEMICAL PRACTICES TABLE OF MITICIDE OPTIONS for full product labels, visit http://www.kellysolutions.com/MA/pesticideindex.htm SPRING AND SUMMER Name Season [temp] Honey Treatment Application Type Personal Re-Queen Active Ingredient = less effective super Duration For instructional videos: Protective [mode of action] when brood is honeybeehealthcoalition. Select mite resistant present safe? org/varroa Equipment stock when available PLASTIC STRIP Pop. Pop. NO 6-8 weeks Miticides can Apivar® Increase Decrease harm people Brood amitraz too!! Protect x yourself with Interruption [contact] [Not wait to proper PPE Split hive or allow to Synthetic Temp 2 weeks add honey supers swarm (capture swarm!) Dependent] 4-6 weeks GEL OR GEL TRAY ApiGuard® Pop. Pop. NO Drone Brood Increase Decrease thymol x Trapping/Removal [fumigant] Insert foundation-less Can add Cut out honey supers or drone frame [60-105° F] or freeze immediately after

Leave until Api Life Var® Pop. Pop. NO 26-32 days FOAM WAFER capped Increase Decrease (2-3 weeks) thymol, menthol, Organic: essential oil Organic: essential eucalyptus oil x ALL YEAR [fumigant] wait 1 month to [64-95° F] add honey supers Screened ***Kills mites in brood GEL STRIP Bottom Board MAQS®, YES MAQS: Check mite drop for Pop. Peak 1-3 weeks Pop. effectiveness Formic Pro® Pop. Increase ✓ Formic Pro: formic acid Decrease 2-3 weeks [fumigant] Recommended CHEMICAL TYPES: [50-85° F] (but not required)

Synthetic Organic Pop. POWDER, 3 options: Oxalic Acid, Pop. NO Immediate PROS: Targeted toxicity PROS: Degrade quickly Increase Decrease (but may need to CONS: Last longer in the CONS: Broad-spectrum Api-Bioxal® repeat) environment toxicity (more harmful to the oxalic acid [Not x beekeeper!) dihydrate Temp wait 2 weeks to Dependent] add honey supers Spray Dribble Fumigation [contact, fumigant] Dormant (liquid) (liquid) (vapor) PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE): Organic: organic acid Pop. Peak CARDBOARD STRIP HopGuard II/III® Pop. Pop. YES 1 month potassium salt of Increase Decrease hops beta acids ✓ [contact] Chemical-resistant Safety Respirator with an organic gloves goggles particulate filter [50-85° F]